Summer Isn’t Always Easy
The Hidden Stress Behind the Sunshine
Summer Isn’t Always Easy: The Hidden Stress Behind the Sunshine
Summer is often sold to us as the ultimate feel-good season—beach days, barbecues, laughter and lightness. But for many people, the reality is far more complex.
If you're feeling anxious, overstimulated or just quietly drained while the world seems to be chasing sunsets and ice creams, please know you’re not the only one. The sunshine doesn’t magically erase stress—and sometimes, the pressure to enjoy yourself only makes things feel heavier.
In this post, we’ll explore some of the more hidden reasons why summer can feel tough, including holiday anxiety, body image pressures, childcare stress, and the overwhelm of busy places—and how therapy can offer a space to breathe.
Travel Anxiety and Sensory Overload
For some, summer means airports, train stations, road trips or unfamiliar surroundings. While this might sound exciting on paper, the reality can trigger deep anxiety—especially if you're already feeling emotionally stretched.
Travel can bring:
Disrupted routines
Sensory overwhelm (crowds, heat, noise)
Unpredictability and loss of control
Pressure to be “on” socially or logistically
If you’re neurodivergent, introverted, or simply someone who needs structure to feel safe, this can be a perfect storm. Even day trips or local outings during school holidays can feel like too much when everywhere is busier, louder and hotter than usual.
Body Image Anxiety in Summer
Let’s talk about something that often goes unspoken: how hard it can feel to be seen in your body during the summer months.
Warmer weather brings more exposed clothing, beachwear, swimsuits, and social comparisons. Whether you’re struggling with body confidence, recovering from disordered eating, or just not feeling at home in your body right now, the pressure to look a certain way can be relentless.
Common feelings might include:
Anxiety about being in swimwear or summer clothes
Shame or self-consciousness around your body
Avoidance of social events or holidays
Pressure to change your body quickly (“summer body” culture)
And for trans, non-binary or gender non-conforming folks, navigating visibility and safety around body exposure can add another layer of stress and discomfort.
It’s OK to feel vulnerable, conflicted, or just plain fed up with the pressure. You don’t need to love your body to treat it with care.
School Holiday Stress and Juggling Childcare
If you're a parent or carer, the summer holidays can bring a whole different kind of stress. Trying to balance work, childcare, and your own needs can feel like spinning plates with no break in sight.
You might be:
Scrambling to arrange childcare
Feeling guilty for not “making the most” of time with your kids
Emotionally drained from having no time to yourself
Comparing yourself to other families who seem to have it all together
This isn’t just logistically hard—it’s emotionally exhausting. And it’s made harder by the pressure to keep everything cheerful and “fun.”
The Stress of Taking Time Off (and Paying for It)
Even the idea of going away on holiday can bring its own kind of anxiety:
Can I really afford this?
What if I don’t feel better while I’m away?
Will work pile up while I’m gone?
What if the trip is more stressful than staying home?
Whether you’re worried about money, struggling to switch off, or fearing that a holiday won’t actually help, it’s understandable that you might feel tense or low—even when you’re supposed to be relaxing.
How Therapy Can Support You Through the Summer Slump
If summer is bringing up more stress than serenity, you don’t have to face it alone. Therapy offers a confidential, compassionate space to explore what’s going on beneath the surface—without pressure to put on a brave face.
Working with a therapist can help you:
Make sense of your emotional responses to summer pressures
Explore body image worries in a safe, affirming space
Create boundaries and routines that support your nervous system
Develop realistic, kind strategies for managing overwhelm
Reconnect with yourself without needing to "fix" anything
You’re Allowed to Struggle—Even in the Sunshine
Whether it’s body image anxiety, travel overwhelm, childcare stress, or just a quiet sense of sadness that summer hasn’t felt how you hoped—it’s OK to feel how you feel. You’re not behind, broken or failing.
If holiday anxiety is leaving you feeling burnt out or disconnected, therapy can be a supportive space to breathe again. I work with adults—including those who are neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, or navigating grief or life transitions—to feel seen, heard and more grounded in themselves.
You deserve support that meets you where you are—not where the world expects you to be.
